And so ended the short and chequered career of Hong Kong's first and only floating hotel. The ship itself had an inglorious end. It was eventually sold to Canton as a flower boat and ended its days somewhere on the West River.
It deserved a better fate.
AGO
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO
"It is notified that a meeting of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the Colony will be held at the Magistracy, at 2.15 p.m., on Friday, April 30, 1909, for the purpose of considering the following application under the Liquor Licence Ordinances, 8 of 1898 and 8 of 1909, viz: From one Carl Fiedler for permission to remove the business now carried on by him under an adjunct licence on premises numbered 34, Queen's Road Central, under the sign of "The Weismann Limited," to premises number 14, Des Voeux Road Central.
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO.
Extract from the S.C.M. Post of July 13, 1909:- A meeting of the Justices was held at the Magistracy yesterday afternoon to consider the application from Mr. R.H. Whittaker for a licence to sell by retail intoxicating liquors, (except Chinese wines and spirits), in the house and appurtenances belonging to No.1 Queen's Road East under the name of the Victoria Hotel, in exchange for and on surrendering the licence now held by him in respect of the premises known as the Praya East Hotel. In making the application, Mr. F.C. Barlow, of Messrs. Goldring, Barlow and Morrel, said he believed his client was the only British licensee on the register, with the exception of the Hongkong Hotel. Mr. Hazeland said the Justices had decided not to grant the application. They wished it to be understood that they had nothing against Mr. Whittaker, but they did object to the locality.
Many of the Colony's "Old Hands" will remember "Thomas's Grill Room" in Queen's Road, one of the most popular eating houses in Hongkong during the eighties and early nineties. The proprietor was one of the best known figures of his day. He was William Gomes Thomas, a native of St. Thomas, in the West Indies. Mr. Thomas never figured in public life. No civic reformer was he, nor did his means permit him to head public subscriptions. He was, however, a generous and genial soul, who took such a great pride in his grill room, that he came to know nearly all of his customers personally.
On March 14, 1895, William Gomes Thomas died and was buried at Happy Valley. The newspapers in reporting his death, said that before taking up residence in Hongkong, Mr. Thomas had been a steward on one of the Pacific Mail Company's liners, and had been attracted by the prospects of the restaurant business here.
From all outward appearances, Thomas's Grill Room prospered, but when the estate was squared up, it was found that only $3,345 was left to be divided between Mr. Thomas's mother and wife. Of this sum, the Hongkong Government took half as death duties, leaving only $1,137 for the dependents.
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